GetJar: App Up Your Mobile!

Google does a lot of great things. But they aren’t good at paying attention to detail, at least when it comes to Android. That’s totally opposite to what Apple does, focusing and polishing the little things. Android Market and iOS App Store are great examples of this conundrum. Google’s shortcomings with the Android Market and the exponential increase in Android adoption has attracted some key players to launch their own app stores. Now, it’s the turn of the crowd favorite GetJar.

GetJar is the world’s largest free app store with over two billion downloads to date. The company distributes more than 150,000 mobile applications across a variety of operating systems including Blackberry, Java, Symbian, Mobile Web and now, Android. Interested to know how great the new app store actually is?

Availability

GetJar app is available for download from here. The app works on devices running Android versions 1.6 and up. Alternatively, you can point your browser to m.getjar.com to download apps from the web browser instead.

User Interface

Homescreen and Featured Listings

GetJar hasn’t made any effort to create a gorgeous user interface. Everything is tucked away five small tabs: Home, Categories, Apps, Friends, and My Apps. All promotions and featured listings can be found in the Home tab (all sponsored placements are clearly labelled, which is great to see). This is also the place from which you can take a peek at the apps that top the charts, new additions and more. But just scrolling down a few times to see all those cool listings isn’t real fun.

Categories

Categories and Top Apps

GetJar has a nice and comprehensive categories section. You can toggle to see either the top apps or the new ones under each category.

Sub Categories and App Details Screen

If you don’t have the time to go through all the listings, scroll down to the end of the screen to access the sub categories. Sub categories make for a great idea even when they are buried at the bottom of the screen.

Downloading Apps

In most cases, the app information screens have just enough information to make a decision. I didn’t see many comments, but given their popularity this could change over time. If you hit Download, the app begins to download and will install automatically once it’s done, like the regular Market app. You then have the option to head over to the installed app directly or browse the store for more apps.

Do note that once the download begins, there is absolutely no way to either pause or cancel it. Again, you might want to be doubly sure before initiating a download, if you are on a carrier that charges an arm and leg for data.

Downloading Apps and GetJar Gold

Downloading apps doesn’t require logging into the app. But if you plan to comment, like or share the app, you will have to. Thankfully, you don’t need a separate account and can use existing Facebook login credentials (in which case you can check what apps your friends are installing too!)

What irritated me most was the wait before getting anything loaded in GetJar. Even to move from screen to screen, you will have to wait for the app to load. Folks with data cap might get burned from just accessing the app, let alone downloading apps.

GetJar Gold

GetJar is mostly about free apps. But there is a section where paid apps that are popular in other app stores are available for free. While the developers claim to present the users with $50 worth of top free paid apps, selections tend to be ranging between average and above average in most cases. But hey, they have got the full version of Angry Birds for free, so hurry up! New apps are added every week and downloading these “Gold” apps works in the same way as normal apps.

Facebook Connect and Quick Download

For those who have a code for a specific app, the Quick Download option is a huge time saver. Hit the Quick Download link, enter the code, and voila: your download will begin instantly.

Final Thoughts

It isn’t like the Android ecosystem is in dire need of apps to attract more users. With tens of thousands of apps in the Android Market alone, there is an app in almost every category under the sun, and more are added by the day. Still, the problem that keeps Android users looking elsewhere for their app needs is the poorly managed Android Market and its annoying payment system.

But are these problems addressed properly by the wannabe Android Market competitors GetJar and Amazon App Store? Definitely not. Amazon App Store is probably the worst managed digital market in the world with so much distrust from developers. But GetJar is less archaic, and it’s already the darling of the masses.

GetJar probably invented the app store model and was (and still is) the oasis for app starved feature phone users. But, sadly, the GetJar Android App Store still has the design and feel of a feature phone product. The user interface is designed without any taste or class. They have got a ton of great deals to go with, but at this juncture in the smartphone era, people are looking to get better app recommendations and the ability to buy apps without jumping through hoops.

To succeed GetJar has to think out of the featurephone box and add a whole lot more usability. The legacy alone isn’t gonna cut it!

Looking For More?

If you liked this article, simply follow the links for more Android goodness:

Popular Posts

“Still, the problem that keeps Android users looking elsewhere for their app needs is the poorly managed Android Market and its annoying payment system.”

Really? I thought with the update of the android market client and website it’s pretty good now.

Joseph

Wow! Way to be objective!

“Google does a lot of great things. But they aren’t good at paying attention to detail, at least when it comes to Android. ”

I find it hard to believe that this is android site, when most of the posts do nothing but bash android. Not to mention that polish in apps is up to developers and not android. Android from my perspective is very polished, and as for iOS being “focusing and polishing the little things” i have to disagree. I’ve seen a lot of apps that are complete crapware.

Well, that’s it for this rant – you have just lost a daily viewer.

http://michaeljameswilliams.com/ Michael James Williams

Hi! I’m the editor; let me explain my position here.

Our reviews are subjective; each is based on the reviewer’s opinion. I take this as read, and think of it as though every sentence starts with “in my opinion…”. (In fact, I typically remove “in my opinion” from sentences when I’m editing articles.) Justin’s comment about Google’s and Apple’s strengths sets up the context of the review – if the Android Market had no shortcomings, would there be any need for an alternative?

@Joseph I’m very platform agnostic, but in fact a bit partial when it comes to open source (of which Android is one). I don’t think the Android Market is anywhere close to being “the best”.

The little things I refer to are like the inclusion of native screen capping ability to Icecream Sandwich after about four years, when iOS had this from day one.

Android users, in my opinion, shouldn’t be the type of fanbois who rest only on their laurels. Two Goliaths are waiting for the first opportunity to eat Android for lunch. So, what we need is deep introspection whenever possible.

Sorry to see you go, but hope this explanation makes you stick around!

http://amitgupta.in/ amit

Justin, when was the last time you opened the Android Market app on an Android device (& not on an emulator)? The app got updated few weeks back & UI wise it looks way lot better than its earlier version. Though the earlier version was lacking on eye candy UI, it was pretty fast & very usable. The current one is not so slick but its certainly pleasing to eye & maintains usability.

The GetJar app you so much praise is totally crap, nothing better than a browser shell which loads up a mobile version of a website. Oh yeah, I have it & thats why I can say it stands nowhere near the Android Market app. Its clunky, doesn’t feel seemless as an app does (its more like a mobile version of website, transition from one page to another shows blank screen momentarily) and to top it all, its missing the most important thing that should be there in an appstore/market app today – it can’t tell you which app you’ve installed from its store & whether an update is available for it or not. It just gives you the option to install the apps it lists, nothing else.

UI likes or dislikes are subjective, I’d give you that. Maybe you don’t like Android Market app UI & like GetJar app UI instead but without the ability to notify users when an update is available or which app they already have installed, its totally unworthy of the time.

Personally I installed it just to get SwiftkeyX & try it out in the full on version. I’ll uninstall the GetJar app now as its no longer offering updated version of SwiftkeyX and will instead buy a copy from the Android Market, so I get my updates when they’re available.

I think you need to get MORE FREE APPS SO PEOPLE CAN SEE MORE THEN WHAT IS THERE NOW OK AND THANK YOU FOR THE FREE APPS

m m

good.
……….

http://Optional Ssekandi shidy

Good

Mukesh Mishra

Just great,super…

http://hidoyusuf yusuf H

good

lijo

Ok

mensur

Good

irfan

Very good

JENNIFER MARTIN

I am having trouble with certain apps downloading — paper toss, stupid zombies 1 & 2, and many more. It says downloading but stays at 0% until I finally get impatient and try something different. Anyone have a solution? Work around?

http://rahmaniy md ilyas

gatjar

Grace Missions Church

I just bought a Proscan Tablet that have this app on it. However, I have not been able to download any apps. I get a message that is downloading but it does not and remain at 0%.

Please help!

carl

i just bought a coby kyros 4.0 when i use the GETJAR app and go to download a app it says your download has failed try again later but i have the wifi on and can search the web on it ??thinking about taking it back only reason i bought it is for my daughter so she could play games on it and stay of my computer. everything else is ok but the getjar app.

John

I just bought the same tablet for each one of my kids. I am experiencing the same problems trying to download apps.

Tommy Cook

I had the same probolem with a Coby Kyros 4.0. Coby admits there is a probolem with Getjar apps and suggest you download “Slide Me” apps site. I did and it works fine, no problem downloading apps.

terry nix

I cannot get getjar to download apps.

aseel

ican not get skype

jaguarlady053

I have a Zeki tablet and can not get the GetJar app that came with it to work.

http://1121986 kamal

Hi

http://oman kamal

I need this software

http://oman kamal

Good software

http://America Tyler

Last time didn’t work

devinne

This iz cool.:-)

http://leito0125 leandro

muy bueno

taurice hunter

I wish yu had pandora on this get jar. And some your apps won’t download

lakeyia

I want sub
waysurfers

http://find ganesh

Hi

Denise

Can I get free apps on my kindle fire

keshaun

a family meber told me about

kenia

I love getjar

http://ddddd( carol

Its very good on androids but not very good on mine im trying not to get mad!!!!!!!!

http://Getjar sushilkumars

No

lisse

Why I can’t download any app.Say download but stay in 0%.? Please help.